A simmering tinderbox of ethnic tension exploded into flames on Thursday afternoon, as an unruly mob set two deserted houses on fire in Imphal, Manipur. The destructive act of arson comes in the wake of a gruesome attack in the Khamenlok area the previous day, which claimed nine lives and left ten people injured.
The security forces, grappling with the escalating chaos, resorted to the use of force and deployed tear gas to dispel the aggressive crowd congregated in New Checkon. However, the violent spectacle resulted in no casualties as the structures that bore the brunt of the mob’s wrath were long-abandoned. Their former residents had vacated the properties last month following the inception of brutal ethnic violence that has gripped the northeastern state.
This incident is the latest chapter in the turbulent narrative of unrest currently unfolding inManipur. The army and Assam Rifles have bolstered their “area domination” operations, intensifying patrols and removing barriers in their ceaseless vigilance.
In a recent tweet, the Army clarified their enhanced role, stating: “Enhanced Area Domination Operations by Army and Assam Rifles are being undertaken in the aftermath of the recent spurt in violence”. The Spear Corps of the Indian Army, which operates within Manipur, has also confirmed its commitment to long-duration, self-contained operations to ensure the domination of fringe areas and higher reaches.
These measures were ramped up following a savage attack on a Kuki village in the Khamenlok area, a region straddling the Imphal East and Kangpoki districts. The ensuing gunbattle between the village assailants and the local population resulted in a harrowing toll of nine deaths and ten injuries.
The rising tide of violence also spilled over into Wednesday evening, when the official quarters of Manipur’s female minister, Nemcha Kipgen, in the Lamphel area of Imphal West district, were set ablaze. Firefighters, however, managed to extinguish the flames before they could wreak havoc on the surrounding neighbourhood.
Since the start of the bloody feud between the Meitei and Kuki communities a month ago, over 100 lives have tragically been lost. To stem the flow of this deadly tide, the state has imposed a curfew on 11 districts and suspended internet services, a move aimed at halting the dissemination of potentially incendiary rumours.
The spark that ignited this firestorm of ethnic violence was a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ that took place on May 3, organised as a reaction against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
With the Meiteis constituting 53 per cent of Manipur’s population, residing mainly in the Imphal Valley, and the Nagas and Kukis – another 40 per cent living in the hill districts – the current conflict not only threatens the region’s fragile harmony but also challenges the fabric of the state’s demographic tapestry.